Taxfeld

Extract from a directory with around 11,000 postal services

Between 1858 and 1964, distance calculation in parcel traffic was based on tax squares and fee fields . In the German-Austrian Postal Union (in the addendum to the Revised Postal Union Treaty, which came into force on January 1, 1858) it was determined that the distance up to and including 20 miles should be measured directly from place to place. “At greater distances, the measurement is made to the midpoints of quadrants , the sides of which correspond to a length of 4 German miles. All places located in the same square have the center estimate ”.

The division into squares was laid down in the “Postverein survey map”. The “compilation of a general directory” of the post locations with the associated tax squares completed the work. A number was assigned to each post office. A “table for determining the postage progression rates from and to each tax field on the postal association survey card” contained all the numbers. In the case of changes, an a or b was added to the numbers. New parts of the area were added, but not included in the survey map (at least no documents are known about this). The survey map covered an area from the Danish border to Italy ( Trieste ).

With the formation of the North German Confederation , the "German-Austrian Post Association" had to come to an end. Now "the distances according to geographical miles" are determined. The postal area is divided into square tax fields no longer than two miles on each side. The direct distance of the diagonal intersection point from one square to the other forms the distance level, which is decisive for the assessment of the mail items by the postal service. If the fields were previously 4 × 4 miles, the tax fields (of which there were more than 5,610) now measured 2 × 2 miles. Here, too, there were subsequent changes, for example through the inclusion of Alsace - Lorraine .

The "law concerning some amendments to the law on the postal tax system in the territory of the German Reich of October 28, 1871", of May 17, 1873, which came into force on January 1, 1874, simplified the distance calculations. For packages up to 5 kg, only two distances apply (up to 10 miles and above). For heavier packages, a certain amount was added for each kilogram in 6 stages (10, 20, 50, 100, 150 and over 150 miles).

Calculation factors were assigned to each tax square. Some publishers of the time published (to help officials, merchants, etc. with the calculation) "Post and Telegraph Handbooks" from which one could take the necessary information. The numbers in two columns (headed with "Rangefinder") designate the latitude and longitude extending over the entire tax square area from 0 to 204 miles (with 2 miles each) those degree lines that form the diagonal intersection (center point) of the tax square the post office, cut in width and length. Column I shows the latitudes and II the longitudes. The distance between two tax squares results from the difference between the numbers concerned. The numbers from I and II are written below each other and the difference is calculated. The sum is multiplied by itself and the products added. The square root to be taken from this represents the correct distance in German miles (15 to one equatorial degree). Fractional miles are not taken into account.

Calculation example for distance calculation

An example should clarify the calculation method. The distance and thus the postage for a package of 29 pounds from Borghorst (Oberpostdirektion Münster ) to Langelsheim (OPD Braunschweig ) should be calculated:

Borghorst has the rangefinder information 52/186, Langelsheim 58/158.
The difference between the first and second numbers is 6 and 28, respectively.
These numbers were to be multiplied by themselves and then added together; in our case this gives 36 + 784 = 820.
The number 820 is not listed in the compilation as a square number from which the root can be determined. The next smaller of the listed square numbers 841 and 784 is therefore used; so 784.
The square root 28 (which is also to be regarded as the number of miles) belongs to 784 .
The distance is therefore 28 miles (210 km). The valuation of the mail items is therefore based on the 6th progression rate.
In our example, the package costs 30 Sgr, as the tariff per pound or parts thereof between 25 and 30 miles is 1 Sgr.

The actual distance between Steinfurt-Borghost and Langelsheim is around 202 km as the crow flies. H. the distance of 210 km determined in the example using the tax squares is sufficiently accurate ( relative error below 4%).

literature

Joh. B. Batka: Post-Railway- and Telegraph-Book or the transport authorities of the two imperial kingdoms Austria-Hungary and Germany . Along with a railroad card and a telegraph card. Self-published by the author (printed by Johann Spurný), 1872, p. 7 ( limited preview in Google Book search).